After seven months, Johnson County movie theater to reopen amid COVID-19 struggles
The Glenwood Arts announced Wednesday that it will reopen Oct. 21, joining most other area movie theaters in restoring operations despite a dearth of new releases from Hollywood studios.
The Overland Park theater, in the Ranch Mart South shopping center, has been closed seven months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Known for showing a mix of smaller independent films and big studio movies, the Glenwood Arts will reopen with “Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold,” a new documentary on the rock singer. After that, the theater will be open only on weekends.
“We will test the waters so to speak to see what business will be like,” Brian Mossman, vice president of Fine Arts Theatre Inc., which operates the Glenwood Arts and the Rio in downtown Overland Park, said in an email. “Ticket sales will determine how long we can stay open.”
Mossman indicated Fine Arts would wait to see how the Glenwood does before deciding on a possible reopening of the Rio.
Major movie chains AMC, Cinemark and B&B have already reopened, as has the Screenland Armour in North Kansas City. However, the Regal chain announced earlier this week that it will temporarily shut down its 536 locations starting this weekend, partly because the James Bond movie “No Time to Die” was shelved until 2021. Regal is the nation’s second-largest chain after Leawood-based AMC. Its only local theater is at the Ameristar casino.
The Glenwood will show movies in three auditoriums with sectioned-off seating for social distancing and reduced capacity. Other precautions will include a cashless card system, frequent sanitizing of the theaters and Plexiglas dividers at the concession stand and box office. Guests must wear face masks except when eating or drinking inside the auditorium.
Tickets will go on sale early next week.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 5:04 PM with the headline "After seven months, Johnson County movie theater to reopen amid COVID-19 struggles."
